Reply to Title I parents, what have you done to improve test scores?

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Reply to "Title I parents, what have you done to improve test scores?"

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[quote=Anonymous]Not about test scores, but more to your question at 14:57:

Some ways PTA time/funds can help the school provide the supports they need:

1) Buyer: Work with the Principal to find non-personnel stuff the PTA can purchase (or get in kind donations) to free up the Principal's budget distribution to add more staff;

2) Employer: The PTA, as a non-profit organization, becomes a legal employer of "extra" staff [need lots of money and support to do it this way legally -- it is no small thing to become an employer and is rather complicated WRT what kinds of positions that are OK to fund this way];

3) Volunteer Coordinator: PTA volunteers coordinate and hustle other volunteers (among parents and community members) for the teachers -- get a list from the teachers of needs and dates, create a sign up genius type calendar of volunteer times and expertise, and fill the ones you can [keep track of those who will need to register with the District and those who won't; use teacher to teacher connections to create partnerships with 'sister schools,' both public and independent].

4) Development Agent: PTA researches and finds grants, partnerships, vendors, companies that require employees to donate a set number of service hours annually, Universities with student teachers, etc. to supply and/or fund the extras that the principal/teachers request. There is a huge amount of money and volunteer time out there for Title I schools -- you have to go get it though. Sign up for Grant Watch, as a starting point.

5) Sponsor: PTA supports teachers in the after school activities teachers are allowed to provide (and for which they get a little extra compensation from DCPS), but for which they can only charge a nominal supply fee to students -- preferably no fee. PTA can help with the nominal supply burden, which may encourage more teachers to spend this extra time running an after school club. Most, if not all of Deal's after school clubs are teacher sponsored this way, but those with heavy admin burdens, like speech and debate, rely on the parents of the students involved to support the effort too.

I think most Title I schools would get the biggest bang for the buck on 5, 4, 1, and 3, in that order, and should avoid 2 at all costs.

Also, I recommend that if you plan to undertake any of these ideas, you contact the PTA presidents of schools like Deal, Mann, Janney, Murch, Hearst, Lafayette, and others, directly for advice. Many of these folks have come to know the ins and outs of DCPS policy and politics way more than they ever wanted to know. Even though they are not Title I schools, there is no need to reinvent the wheel. If there is something you want to do, one of them has probably found a way to do it (and not always by spending a lot of money). They also have probably found options not available to them that would be available to a Title I school, so they might have some good leads for you too.

Hope that helps.[/quote]

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